Kristofer Hagglund

Dean, School of Health Professions

Kristofer Hagglund, PhD, ABPP, has been the Dean of the School of Health Professions since 2013. Under his leadership, the school has continued its unmatched growth in student enrollment, increased high-demand program offerings, accelerated research productivity and affirmed SHP’s commitment to improving the health and well-being of others through teaching, research and service.

Dean Hagglund is responsible for operating the school with a balanced budget. By seeking new and more diverse sources of revenue, the school’s financial outlook has never been better.

Teaching: In the first years of Dean Hagglund’s tenure, SHP’s professional programs were able to expand their class sizes, meaning more students are becoming physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech therapists each year. These new health professionals enter a workforce where their skills are in high-demand, so their employment rate remains at 100%. In addition, many of these new providers stay in state to practice, many in rural, underserved areas, making SHP’s recent program expansions a tangible benefit to Missouri’s economy. New programs in Applied Behavior Analysis and Public Health offer additional opportunities for SHP’s students to fill gaps in critical areas of health care and public health.

Research: With Dean Hagglund’s leadership, SHP has become a major player in health professions research in the last few years. Increases in the number of research faculty, the number of proposals and funded grants, and the number of scientific publications have raised the school’s reputation in the areas of autism, sleep, pain, stroke, rehabilitation sciences, voice disorders, and many other areas. SHP is a direct contributor to the University of Missouri’s standing as an AAU member institution, and receives significant federal research funding.

Service: Dean Hagglund has recommitted SHP to its core value of service – both in direct clinical service and in community outreach. Not only does this emphasis on service help improve the health and well-being of people in the community, but also it builds a sense of community around all the parts of the SHP family. SHP’s alumni outreach, advancement activities, and partnership with people and organizations across campus – and across the country – are creating an unprecedented level of engagement with all stakeholder groups. SHP’s commitment to inclusion, diversity and accessibility have served as models at Mizzou. At a critical time in history, SHP is experiencing increases in both students and faculty from under-represented backgrounds.

Educational Background:

• PhD: University of Alabama at Birmingham, Clinical (Medical) Psychology
• MEd: University of Alabama at Birmingham, Clinical (Medical) Psychology
• BA: Illinois State University